It has been two decades after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the means to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute guitar solo in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Developed by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to follow coloured notes moving along the screen synchronized to the music. Every sequence mimicked particular chords, creating the sensation of a genuine performance.
The studio previously tried its hand in the music genre before partnering with RedOctane, which was acquired by Activision in 2006. Together, they laid the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, introducing decades-old bands to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, ex-chief operating officer of Harmonix, remembers the early financial challenges in securing the recordings – despite the fact the first two games mostly used rerecorded tracks.
“We rerecorded every song because the cost prohibitive,” he explains. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it was extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane had virtually no money, and we were fairly certain it would fail. However, when the game took off, album purchases airtime increased, all artists desired to participate.”
He continues: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for introducing their kids to the songs they loved. It evolved into a multigenerational phenomenon.”
Classic Rock Finds Younger Fans
Northern Irish blues-rock band the Answer included their track in the 2008 release Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Generally this had been considered outdated material, but then once it got featured on the game and teenagers discovered it, suddenly it became trendy. That legitimised it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music renewed popularity.”
At that time, the band's first record remained not available stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium for exposure for the group as they went on a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “The roadies had on Never Too Late on the tour bus, and some of them recognized us thanks to the game,” he notes.
Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence
Rock’s heavyweight names soon took advantage of the series’ popularity, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around their music collections and related lore, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. In the case of, the Aerosmith edition, it was said earned the group greater revenue compared to their studio albums. It sold more than 500,000 units upon release, and demand for Aerosmith’s music rose significantly at a time when the music business was already collapsing.
The series continues to inspire nimble-fingered dedication among its fans. Recently, a streamer achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult anthem made popular by Guitar Hero – on Clone Hero, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. The song is difficult even in the hardest setting, let alone performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. The streamer claimed requiring months of practice to accomplish.
“The game is a fun, fantasy thing. Just as with Call of Duty, that doesn’t mean you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” says DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously completed a profitable run when their hit was featured in the third game, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that our records were moving rapidly,” he says. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure from Guitar Hero was so immense that it threatened to eclipsing all other the band has done. Last year, the song was used in a trailer for Despicable Me 4. “Previously I thought otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique musical journey and I'm pleased we played a role in fans' experiences”.
The Lasting Legacy from the Plastic Guitar
The best marketing, be it for cars, apparel or video games, extends beyond mere transactions – it inspires a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what we were aiming to achieve,” Dornbrook says. “The excitement of being a music icon in the spotlight. From day one, the co-founders felt that there’s an instinctive human desire to create songs, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.
Most installments were released in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, featuring derivative titles such as the DJ version, including a spinning deck, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals died down, except for a brief comeback in 2015.
Titles like Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the scene active, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher in development. A new studio has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. Original co-founders are participating as special advisers. Is the world ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “There’s so much fresh tracks it could remain perennially popular, thus I remain hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to continue for future fans.”
